Most Discussed

Tag - First Look

Apple's iOS has reached a significant milestone in reaching its tenth iteration, and Apple continues to pump out the changes with renewed momentum. If there are some themes running through the latest release, it is that Apple is making iOS and the built-in app experience "richer," making them "bolder," and making them more "intuitive." When you're actually in them, that is. When you are not, you can still get things done through your apps via the upgrades to Siri, without needing to open them at all. If you thought that iPhone apps had somehow reached the conclusion of their evolution, Apple has shown with iOS 10, that there can never be enough reinvention, reimagination and reinvigoration of the user experience.

Apple has updated 12-inch MacBook with the new generation Intel Core M chip refresh that we have been waiting for, and MacNN has our hands on it. Not only that, our review unit is resplendent in the new rose gold color, which is polarizing, we admit, but will still be on the shopping lists of fans who like to accessorize their MacBooks with rose gold iPhones and rose gold Watches and the like. For fans of the original model, but who might have been holding out for an improved second-generation model, is this the 12-inch MacBook that you have been looking for?

The 21.5-inch iMac with 4K P3 Retina display -- like its big brother, the 27-inch iMac with 5K P3 Retina display -- is among Apple's best bang-for-your buck Macs. The way it blends a thin, compact enclosure with a top-notch display panel and decent computing components as a single solution is particularly elegant. It's price point is also attractive, offering potentially more performance than either Apple's Mac mini line, or Apple's MacBook Pro line for each dollar spent. Read on to find out our first impressions of the 21.5-inch 4K iMac, the first 21.5-inch iMac to get the Retina display treatment.

Let us start by saying the availability of a first-party iPad Pro keyboard accessory does not mean that the Apple iPad Pro is a Microsoft Surface rip-off. Secondly, the availability of a stylus accessory for the iPad Pro, called the Apple Pencil, does not mean that the late Steve Jobs was wrong about styluses. There: now that I've gotten that off my chest, let's take a first look at what the iPad Pro really is all about ahead of our full review.

Apple recently revamped its iMac line up with brand new displays and processors, and we have our hands on the entry-level 27-inch model. Although only introducing a 5K Retina display for the 27-inch iMac line last year, Apple has upgraded it with support for the P3 color space, bringing with it an uplift in color saturation of 25 percent. Also new is the latest in Intel 'Skylake' silicon, along with upgraded AMD Radeon GPUs, faster RAM, and faster flash storage. Read on for our initial impressions.

Despite non-disclosure agreements signed by developers at WWDC, pirates and leakers are starting to make and reveal discoveries found in the first beta for iOS 9, which is expected to launch this fall to accompany the next round of iPhone and iPad hardware. Among the changes and improvements revealed in the code for the beta are hints of new higher-resolution FaceTime (front-facing) cameras, cellular-only Handoff, and notable women's health additions to HealthKit and the Health app.

BlackBerry's QNX division has brought a modified Maserati Quattroporte to CES, demonstrating the company's vision for safety and infotainment technology. The sedan has been outfitted with a bevy of cameras, LiDAR equipment, ultrasonic sensors, a digital instrument cluster, a gigantic infotainment touchscreen, and additional displays that function as side- and rear-view mirrors.

Apple's WWDC 14 was a massive event with many interesting talking points and implications as our team examined. Although Apple has been relatively quiet on the hardware front since the launch of the all-new Mac Pro in late 2013, it is now very clear that it has been doing anything but standing still. iOS has become Apple's flagship operating system, by virtue of the massive success of the devices that the OS powers. Apple's iOS install base is ten times as large as its Mac install base (even though at 80 million users, the latter is now at record levels for Apple too). Consequently, Apple has poured considerable energy in to advancing iOS. However, with OS X Yosemite, Apple has worked hard to bring the Mac OS into line with iOS, but also to make the two operating systems more seamlessly integrated than ever before. In doing so, OS X Yosemite could be the most important iteration of Apple's desktop OS since its inception.

MacPhun software, known for its line of photo-editing software, has introduced a new version of its Mac-only photo-emphasis program Focus 2 with a new Pro version that can also be used as a plug-in as well as a standalone app. The upgrade adds a number of features over the more casual Focus 2, giving photographers more freedom to enhance or alter their work for emphasis and attention. MacNN has been testing the new Focus 2 Pro, and we like what we see.

Simply put, the Intel NUC Kit is a "bare-bones" Mini PC desktop. It is aimed at do-it-yourself PC enthusiasts as well as users interested developing a customized home theater PC solution. The Next Unit of Computing (NUC) model that we have been provided with by Intel is the second-generation model and features a number of marked improvements over the original unit that debuted in 2012. It is an intriguing product for Intel and we were keen to take a first look at it ahead of a full review.

Now AAPL Stock: 112.12 ( + 1.09 )

Cirrus creates Lightning-headphone dev kit

Apple supplier Cirrus Logic has introduced a MFi-compliant new development kit for companies interested in using Cirrus' chips to create Lightning-based headphones, which -- regardless of whether rumors about Apple dropping the analog headphone jack in its iPhone this fall -- can offer advantages to music-loving iOS device users. The kit mentions some of the advantages of an all-digital headset or headphone connector, including higher-bitrate support, a more customizable experience, and support for power and data transfer into headphone hardware. Several companies already make Lightning headphones, and Apple has supported the concept since June 2014. http://bit.ly/29giiZj

Share

Developer162d

Apple Store app offers Procreate Pocket

The Apple Store app for iPhone, which periodically rewards users with free app gifts, is now offering the iPhone "Pocket" version of drawing app Procreate for those who have the free Apple Store app until July 28. Users who have redeemed the offer by navigating to the "Stores" tab of the app and swiping past the "iPhone Upgrade Program" banner to the "Procreate" banner have noted that only the limited Pocket (iPhone) version of the app is available free, even if the Apple Store app is installed and the offer redeemed on an iPad. The Pocket version currently sells for $3 on the iOS App Store. [32.4MB]

Share

162d

Porsche adds CarPlay to 2017 Panamera

Porsche has added a fifth model of vehicle to its CarPlay-supported lineup, announcing that the 2017 Panamera -- which will arrive in the US in January -- will include Apple's infotainment technology, and be seen on a giant 12.3-inch touchscreen as part of an all-new Porsche Communication Management system. The luxury sedan starts at $99,900 for the 4S model, and scales up to the Panamera Turbo, which sells for $146,900. Other vehicles that currently support CarPlay include the 2016 911 and the 2017 models of Macan, 718 Boxster, and 718 Cayman. The company did not mention support for Google's corresponding Android Auto in its announcement. http://bit.ly/295ZQ94

Share

Industry162d

Apple employees testing wheelchair features

New features included in the forthcoming watchOS 3 are being tested by Apple retail store employees, including a new activity-tracking feature that has been designed with wheelchair users in mind. The move is slightly unusual in that, while retail employees have previously been used to test pre-release versions of OS X and iOS, this marks the first time they've been included in the otherwise developer-only watchOS betas. The company is said to have gone to great lengths to modify the activity tracker for wheelchair users, including changing the "time to stand" notification to "time to roll" and including two wheelchair-centric workout apps. http://bit.ly/2955JDa

Share

Troubleshooting162d

SanDisk reveals two 256GB microSDXC cards

SanDisk has introduced two 256GB microSDXC cards. Arriving in August for $150, the Ultra microSDXC UHS-I Premium Edition card offers transfer speeds of up to 95MB/s for reading data. The Extreme microSDXC UHS-I card can read at a fast 100MB/s and write at up to 90MB/s, and will be shipping sometime in the fourth quarter for $200. http://bit.ly/294Q1If

Share

Upgrades/storage163d

Apple's third-quarter results due July 26

Apple has advised it will be issuing its third-quarter results on July 26, with a conference call to answer investor and analyst queries about the earnings set to take place later that day. The stream of the call will go live at 2pm PT (5pm ET) via Apple's investor site, with the results themselves expected to be released roughly 30 minutes before the call commences. Apple's guidance for the quarter put revenue at between $41 billion and $43 billion. http://apple.co/1oi1Pbm

Share

Investor164d

Twitter stickers slowly roll out to users

Twitter has introduced "stickers," allowing users to add extra graphical elements to their photos before uploading them to the micro-blogging service. A library of hundreds of accessories, props, and emoji will be available to use as stickers, which can be resized, rotated, and placed anywhere on the photograph. Images with stickers will also become searchable with viewers able to select a sticker to see how others use the same graphic in their own posts. Twitter advises stickers will be rolling out to users over the next few weeks, and will work on both the mobile apps and through the browser. http://bit.ly/29bbwUE